Tapioca starch food applications

Tapioca starch consumption in industrial applications has been more related to economics than to any unique functionality. While some performance characteristics of tapioca starch are advantageous in several applications, it is generally used in nonfood applications close to the supply points, such as in Brazil, India and Southeast Asia. Non-food consumption of starch in North America and Europe is primarily from readily available sources in these areas, i.e. com, wheat and potatoes. 

Both waxy maize and waxy sorghum are varieties recently developed they have a high content of amylopectin and find their major application in the food industry, in competition with tapioca and potato starches. 

The cereal seeds, tubers, starch storage roots, and bean/pea seeds are directly consumed as food in human diet or animal feed and are used as a source of starch. Extracted starch can be used to produce starch derivates or hydrolyzed to produce soluble sugars, food additives, or glucose syrup. Also, extracted starch can be used for other applications in nonfood industries (Nghiem et al. 2011). For example, it is used as a thickener and as a source of renewable raw material for bioethanol production. The major source of starch for the world market is cornstarch holding more than 80 % of the market, but wheat, potato, cassava or tapioca, and to a lesser extent rice and sweet potato starches are also commercialized (Thomsen et al. 2008). 

This is a thermoplastic starch made from potatoes, wheat, maize or tapioca. The applications are found in food packaging, dog toys and veterinary accessories, and for injection moulding of complex parts. 

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